Automatic train-pipe-connecter head



Sept. 11, 1928. 1,684,376

J. ROBINSON AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTER HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \NVENTOR ATTGRNEY s 40 a simple and eflective means for reliably.

Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

UNTED JOSEPH ROBINSON, GE NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC rnam-rren-connnc'rna HEAD.

Application filed April 2, 1921:, Serial No. 458,119. Renewed October 22, 1926.

My inventionrelates to improvements in automatic train pipe connector heads, and has among its object to provide a head of this kind in which the foroesfs'et up by the fluid pressure carried are so applied to the heads as to cause the minimum tendency to force the heads apart. I Inthe present forms of connecter heads, of-which the type shown in my United States Patent #1,2 45,779 for improvement in automatic train pipe couplings is typical, the fluid pressure passing through the ports of the head, and particularly the lowermost port, sets upforces which tend stron ly to part the heads. This is due to the Fact that the fluid passes through the head on the axis of the butter spring by which the heads are held together. In my improvement the fluid is passed through the head at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the axis of t e spring by which the heads are held in contact. In this manner the pressure of the fluid is greatly reduced as respects itstendency to part the heads. By my present improvement the fluid pressure tends to move the heads laterally, one with r ect to the-other, thereby, forcing the gui ing means of the head into moreefl'ectual engagement, whereas with other types of coupling heads the tendency of the fluid pressure is to blow the heads apart, this because the direction of force set up by the fluid pressure is parallel with the direction of force. produced by the bufli'er spring used to maintain the heads in engagement, as aforesaid. Various means ofautomatic locks have been res'torted to to overcome this tendeney to'separate previous designs of heads,

cation inci ent to these locks and "provides minimizing the tendency of the fluid-pressure to'separate mated heads.

improvements, and construction hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my' improved coupling head, with the hose 22 and the fitting 12 omittedl Figure 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the structure shown in Figure 1, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.- a

.but my improvement is void of the compli My invention exists in the combination,

Figure 4is a plan view of a pair of my improved coupling heads connected, one thereof being shown partly in sections. In this view the hose 22 and the fitting 12 are shown.

Figure 5 is a rear view .of the fitting 12 anda portion of the head, taken on line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring to the'drawing": My im 'rovement is preferably of the pin and nnel type although of course any other suitable means for aligning the heads may be employed. My improvement comprises the forwardly extending tapered'guiding prong or pin 6 and the funnel or ring 7. The prong 'is positioned in advance of the funnel 7 and on the opposite side of the longitudinal axis of the head as shown particularly in Fi re 4. The base 8 of the prong and the aseor face 9 of the funnel lie preferably in vertical planes substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the stem 10 of the head. A substantially flat vertically extending erforated portion 11 connects the funnel with the prong 6, and extends diagonally across the aforesaid axis and'is preferably formed integral with..the funnel and the prong. A suitable fitting 12 Figures 4 and 5, provided on diametrically opposite sides with lugs 13 and having formed inits forward end a gasket seat 14 carrying a gasket 15 is mounted in the perforation 16 of theportion 11 with the gasket 15 projecting slightly through the said portion. The fitting is maintained in this position by suitable dogs 17, formed on the rear side of the ortion 11 and comprising, in connection. w th the lugs 13, a bayonet joint for removably maintaining the fitting or con- 5 duitr12 in osition in the said rforation.

-A pair 0 horizontally extendmgw'ebs 18' and .19 lie one above and one below the said fitting and extend from the pin 6 to the funnel 7 and are preferablyformediintegral therewith and w th the said portion 11 as aforesaid. A flat stem 10 is connected to or formed integrally with the said webs, oris otherwise suitably connected with the head, and extends rearwardly therefrom on the m5 longitudinal centre line of the head. The stem is perforated at 20, Figure 1, to receive a suitatle support for the coupling head such, for instance, as that shown in my co-lpending application Serial #441,699 filed o Fe ruary 1st, 1921. At its rear end the stem is provided with a flange or projection 21 adapted to receive the buffer spring of rom the right or left in order to permit insertion of the fitting. This sets up stresses in the hose which causes the fitting to return ,to the normal service position shown in Figures 4 and 5 in which position it is maintained by the torsional resistance of the hose 22.

It will be observed that the perforation 16 in the portion 11 and the fitting or conduit 12, extend through the head atan angle to the longitudinal axis thereof.- This is in order to reduce the tenden of the fluid pressure in the conduit 12 to orce the heads apart, and also to minimize the friction to I the flow of air'in passing from one car to the other. The an le at which the conduit leads away from t e head should be such as to cause it to point directlyto the centre of the opening in the train ipe on the car from which the hose 22 lea s. A coupling head constructed to my improvement may on account of the aforesaid reduced tendencies to separate the same, be rigidly maintained in engagement with a complementary head by the use of a buffer spring, of low resistance, thereby eatly reducing the strains on the bolts which support the automatic connecter from the car coupler and improv-. ing the service performance as a whole. For these reasons a distinct advance in the art is made by the present improvement.

. conduct, a fluid dia What I. claim is: t 1. .An automatic train pipe connecter head, comprising in combination, a perforated stem connected with the head at one end and having at the other end a flange, apair of guides positioned one in advance of the other on opposite sides of the longitudinal 'axis of said stem, the base of each of the guides being disposed in a plane at substantially a right angle to said axis, a perforated portion. extending diagonally across said axis and joining said guides, a fluid conduit mounted in said perforation and extending therethrough and suitably locked therein to nally through said head, and a horizonta 1 extending web .projecting across said con uitand joining said guidesand said stem.

2. An automatic train pipe connecter head, comprising in combination, a perforated stem connected with the head at one end and havingat the other end a flange, a pair of guides of the pin and funnel type positioned with the pin in advance of t e funnel and forated portion extending diagonally across said axis and Loining said uides, a fluid conduit remova ly mounted in the perforation in said portion and extending there- 'through, a bayonet joint for maintaining said conduit in the service position, and a pair of horizontally extendin Webs extending across said conduit at t e upper and lower sides thereof and joining said guides and said stem. a i v 3. An automatic train 'pipe connecter head comprising a front guide-and a rear guide arranged on opposite sides of the longitudL nal axis of the head, one of said guides comprising a pin having its longitudinal axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head and the other comprising a funnel having its axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head, means for supporting said head with its longitudinal axis extending at all times in the general direction of the longitudinal axis of the car to which it is applied, said head having a substantially flat portionextending diagonally between said guides, and a conduit-arranged behind said front guide and remove iilbly1 connected to said flat portion of the 4. An automatic train pipe connecter head comprising a front guide and a rear guide, the former lying'in advance-0f" the latter, said front guide comprising a pin having its longitudinal axis extending substantiall parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hea and said rear guide comprising a funnel having its longitudinal axis extending substantially parallel to the'longitudinal axis of the head, a substantially flat perforated portion extending diagonally from one of said guides to the other, a conduit positioned behind said front guide and secured in said perforation, said conduit being removable from and insertable in said opening from the rear of the head while said head is coupled to a mating head.

5. An automatic train pipe connecter head comprising a pair of guides, the base of one of which lies in advance of the base of the .exten 'ng at all times in the same general direction as the 10 'tudinal axis of the car to which the 'head is applied, a conduit removably connected to said flat portion of the head and extending 'rearwardly therefrom. v

6. In a train pipe connecter, the combination of a head having a projection adapted to receive an opening in a member of a matinghead, the meeting faces of said projection and member being in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the connecter, said first named head also having a member with an opening adapted to receive a projection on a mating head, the meeting faces of said last named member and projection also being in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the connecter, said first named head having a cylindrical passageway extending there through obliquely to the longitudinal direc tion of the connector, and a fluid-carrying conduit mounted in said passageway.

7. In an automatietrain pipe connecter, the combination of a head having a shank extending rearwardly thereof and also having a projection on one side of the longitudinal axis of said shank and a ring on the other side thereof, said projection having a meeting face extending in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said shank and said ring also havin a meeting face also extending perpendicu 211' to the axis of said I shank, said head having a portion-thereon extending obliquely to the axis of said shank, said portion having an opening therein in line with the axis of said shank, a nipple -'arranged in said openingobliquely to the axis of the shank, and a gasket carried by said nipple.

8. An automatic train pipe connecter head comprising guides arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the head,

oneof said guides comprisinga pin having its longitudinal axis extending parallel to the longitudinal "axis of the head and the other comprising a funnel having its axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head, means for supporting said head with its longitudinal .axis extending at all times in the general direction of the longitudinal axis of the car to which it is applied,

said head having a substantially flat portion extending diagonally across the longitudinal axis of the head, and a conduit removably mounted in said flat portion of the head and extending rearwardly thereof.

10. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination with a connecter head having a projection and a recess disposed on opposite sides thereof for eoupllng purposes,

and having a shank projectlng rearwardly adjacent the central portion thereof, said head having a portion forwardly of said shank provided with a face arranged dia-gonally of the axis of said shank and vided with an opening, a nip 1e exten ing through said opening, means or removably securing the nipple to said portion, the forward end of the nipple terminating substantially flush with said face of said portion, whereby the orifice of the nipple extends obliquely to the meeting face of the head.

In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature.

J OSEPH' ROBINSON. 

